CUSTODY: A melodrama in three acts
Sometimes life sucks.

Characters:
The teenager
The teen's mom
The teen's dad
The stepmom

Background:
The teen lives with his mother, several states away from his father. The relationship between the teen and his mother has been deteriorating for the last two years. He has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, for which he is taking medication.

Act 1/Day 1

Teen's mom calls teen's dad. She is upset, hysterical even. She and the teen have been fighting again. Shoves have been exchanged. She gives teen's dad three choices: she calls the police and has the teen arrested, teen's dad flies up there and collects the teen with an eye to changing custody, or she has the teen committed. Teen's dad immediately says he will fly up there.

He informs stepmom, who scrambles to find affordable plane tickets. How to pay for them? There is money in savings, set aside for the car insurance. Oh well. They buy the tickets. Non-refundable, but the airline grants a 24 hour cancellation window.

Stepmom and teen's dad start discussing the schools, child support, the budget and how to afford a lawyer to legalize the custody change.

Act 2/Day 2

Teen's mom calls teen's dad. Does he want to tell the teen at the airport or drive to their town and tell the teen there? Teen's dad is astounded. He refuses to fly up unless the teen knows. Suggests teen's mom invite the boy's religious leader over to provide support when she tells him.

Teen calls dad, hysterical. Mom has said dad is insisting on custody change. She has said nothing of her ultimatum to dad. Dad tries to explain. Teen gets angrier, accuses dad of ruining his life. Teen hangs up.

Several phone calls later there is a consensus. Teen would rather go to a hospital than leave his friends. He will stay with mom.

Teen's mom takes the hospital off the table. Teen can stay. Peace will reign. Everyone is happy.

Stepmom cancels plane tickets with one half hour to spare. Teen's dad stays up late, watching infomercials.

Act 3/Day 3

Somehow the kitchen door blew open in the night. The cat is missing. Since she has been declawed, she has been a house cat since they first adopted her. She has no way to defend herself and no experience to help her find her way home.

The teen's dad searches the house, the yard, the neighborhood. He drives around in the car, calling for the cat. He returns home empty-handed.

Sitting down to the kitchen table, he buries his head in his hands and cries.